By Sophie Taylor
Two matches went down to the wire while two sides have held strong to be undefeated after two rounds.
We run through some of the major talking points from the weekend.
MUST-WATCH GRUDGE MATCHES
Two matches finished with incredible scenes over the weekend, with the Sunshine Coast Lightning and NSW Swifts both coming from behind to win in the final minutes.
The Battle of the Bruce opened proceedings this week as the Lightning and Queensland Firebirds went head-to-head in a close finish.
The Firebirds held the ascendancy for much of the match, even in the absence of Maddy Gordon, with Macy Gardner’s speed splitting through the Lightning’s defence.
Cara Koenen proved just how valuable she can be in her non-preferred position of goal attack, smoothly moving the ball down court alongside the midcourt trio of Liz Watson, Leesa Mi Mi and Mahalia Cassidy.
Meanwhile Kelly Jackson was a rock in goal keeper for the Firebirds, before an ill-timed rebound sent her from the court with a blood nose with nine minutes left to play.
The second match of the NSW-Victorian double-header was the one to watch on Sunday, going down to the wire as the Swifts pipped the Melbourne Mavericks at the post.
Shimona Nelson was at her shining best throughout the clash, leaving no stone unturned against Australian Diamond Sarah Klau and showcasing her connection with new Mav Jamie-Lee Price.
The battle inside the goal circle was one to watch.
Price continued her outstanding ways after an MVP performance last week, going toe-to-toe with both Tayla Fraser and 150-match player Maddy Proud.
While Grace Nweke and Helen Housby looked frustrated at times, their cool heads under pressure proved crucial when it came down to the wire.
Elsewhere, the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens secured their second wins on the trot.
REBOUNDS ALL ROUND
Rebounds proved more important than ever over the weekend, with both the attacking and defensive players lapping up the extra volume of 50/50 ball inside the circle.
Cholhok and Donnell Wallam traded blows throughout their Queensland battle, plucking off multiple layups apiece showcasing their impressive aerial abilities.
However, accuracy proved a challenge for both with heavy physical pressure.
They came away with 14 and eight rebounds respectively, giving the pair confidence to keep going for the flashy shots and more importantly, making up for the missed attempts.
Romelda Aiken-George has always been a keen rebounder and that was no different on the weekend with another seven to her name against her Jamaican compatriots Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilsom who combined for just three in comparison.
From a defensive standpoint, Jo Weston topped the rebounding tally with four to her name – proving just how dominant the goaling prospects were in returning the ball back to their side after a miss.
WHO WILL STOP THE T’BIRDS
The Thunderbirds looked dangerous again on the weekend, even after a slow start against the Fever.
That slow start didn’t last long, with a 17-11 second term swinging the momentum back the way of the home side to lead by five goals at half time.
And realistically, the 13-goal victory does not truly show the dominance of the battle from half time onwards.
Jamaican duo Sterling-Humphrey and Wilson combined for 10 gains (six intercepts, 15 deflections) in a tremendous effort, while the T’Birds’ variety of attacking options made them hard to predict both inside and outside the circle.
Georgie Horjus was outstanding with 37 goal assists off 49 feeds, while Elmeré van der Berg put up another 58 goals at 92 per cent accuracy.
While other teams have showed glimpses of strength, no one – perhaps other than the Vixens – have been able to showcase such comprehensive dominance for more than five to 10 minutes at a time.
The Jo Weston and Emily Mannix combination was back in action on the weekend.
The Mavericks midcourt defence may be able to wreak havoc against the Thunderbirds’ combinations, similarly to the Lightning back-end against the T’Birds’ attack, but again – whether that can be maintained for the full 60 minutes is something to keep an eye on.
With The T’Birds-Vixens battle not coming until mid-April expect the Thunderbirds to keep ticking away atop the ladder.
ON THE STATS SHEET
Horjus’ monster effort on the weekend sits her on top of the goal assists tally this week with 56 to her name, joined by Alice Teague-Neeld on 45 centre pass receives for the other key midcourt stat.
Sterling-Humphrey (15 deflections) marginally leads Jane Watson (14) and Courtney Bruce (12) while her partner in crime Wilson leads alongside Weston for intercepts (five apiece).
Van der Berg leads all-comers on the goals tally with 117 to her name after just two matches. Wallam (96) and Grace Nweke (87) are next in line, though Wallam and Van der Berg share the top spot for attempts (125).
As for Suncorp Super Shots, Sasha Glasgow holds top spot with 11 alongside Matisse Letherbarrow (10). Glasgow has been the most accurate from range at this early stage in the season sitting at 69 per cent accuracy.
